Thrill your taste buds with these Cinnamon Cookies that are soft on the inside and slightly crispy on the outside, thanks to a coating of cinnamon and sugar.
Cinnamon is the spice of traditions. From baked goods, to spiced drinks, to potpourri, everyone can think of a tradition that involves the taste or aroma of cinnamon. Once you make these buttery soft cinnamon cookies, you’ll add them to your list of traditions, too.
The cinnamon makes these bold enough to add to holiday baking in the fall and winter, yet delicate enough to eat in the summertime. They’re even easy enough to make and enjoy on a lazy Sunday afternoon. It’ll soon be your tradition to make these whenever you feel like it.
Cinnamon cookies can be made as a stand-alone dessert or snack. They also look really nice on a Christmas cookie platter for neighbors. If you are making a variety of cookies to give away, a combination of Cinnamon Cookies, Peanut Butter Blossoms, Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting, and Disappearing Marshmallow Cookies would taste great and look pretty on a platter together.
To make sure these cinnamon cookies have plenty of spice, cinnamon is mixed in the dough and in the coating of cinnamon sugar. Talk about a super cinnamon sensation!
Alongside the sweet, spicy cinnamon in the dough is vanilla extract, which is a perfect combination to make the cookie satisfying without feeling heavy. The end result is a soft, moist cookie with a sugary crunch. And they look adorable with their cinnamon freckles!
This cinnamon cookie recipe is really easy to follow and uses basic cookie ingredients. Hands-on time is relatively short, but the dough does need to chill in the refrigerator for a couple of hours, so plan accordingly.
Table of Contents
About Cinnamon Cookies
- Soft Inside, Crispy Outside
- Simple to Make
- Made with Basic Baking Ingredients
Tools You Need
- Mixer, Stand or Hand-held
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Rubber Spatula
- Cookie Sheets
- Parchment Paper (for easy cleanup)
- Optional: Cookie Scoop for consistent cookie size
What You Need to Make Cinnamon Cookies
- Flour – Sifted all-purpose flour works great to keep the cookies soft. Learn more about why we sift and all the details about Baking Measurements here.
- Cinnamon – This is the star of these cookies so make sure it is fresh and flavorful.
- Baking Powder – Used for leavening to create fluffy cookies.
- Salt – Even sweet desserts need this to enrich the final flavor.
- Butter – Best softened to room temperature so it will cream smoothly.
- Sugar – Granulated sugar sweetens the cookies and adds a slight crunch.
- Egg – Binds all of the ingredients together.
- Vanilla – Pure vanilla extract is preferred.
Variations
Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Cookie – Fold in up to 1 cup chocolate chips.
Cinnamon White Chocolate Chip Cookies – Fold in up to 1 cup white chocolate chips.
Cinnamon Almond Cookies – Use ½ teaspoon almond flavoring instead of vanilla.
Reindeer Noses – Press a red hot into the center of the cookie just before baking to make reindeer noses.
Overview | How to Make Cinnamon Cookies
The full printable recipe is below
- Make Dough
- Chill Dough – This makes thick, soft cookies and prevents them from falling flat.
- Prep – Preheat oven and line with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
- Make Dough Balls – Use a cookie scoop to keep them consistent in size, roll in the palm of your hand and dip in cinnamon sugar.
- Bake
- Cool – Allow to cool 1 minute before transferring to a cooling rack to prevent them from continuing to bake on the hot sheet.
Tips
- Chill dough before baking for thick cookies.
- Don’t overbake – you want the cookie to be lightly crispy on the bottom and soft everywhere else.
How to Store
- Room Temperature – Allow to cool and then store cookies in an airtight container for 3-5 days.
- Freeze – Allow to cool and then freeze cookies in airtight container for a couple of months. Allow to thaw to room temperature. Once thawed, microwave for 5 seconds to warm.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can freeze the dough. Make the dough and roll it into balls. Place on sheet pan and freeze in a single layer. Once frozen, you can layer balls in an airtight container with wax paper in between.
When ready to use, let thaw in refrigerator. Roll in cinnamon sugar and bake as directed in recipe.
Once dough is made and covered, it needs to be refrigerated for a minimum of 2 hours. As long as it is fully covered, it can stay in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Pull out of the refrigerator when ready to use, scoop into 1″ balls, roll in cinnamon sugar, and bake as directed.
You could also roll into balls and then refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days. When you’re ready to bake, roll into cinnamon and sugar and bake.
Cinnamon Cookies
Ingredients
- 1½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1½ teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
Topping
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk to combine flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes.
- Add egg and vanilla. Beat until just combined.
- Gradually add dry mixture to wet mixture until combined.
- Cover dough and chill 2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Optional: Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, combine cinnamon sugar to make topping.
- Using a cookie scoop or a teaspoon and the palm of your hands, roll dough into 1" balls. Roll in cinnamon sugar.
- Optional: Insert red hot onto center of dough ball.
- Bake 10 minutes or until lightly brown. Allow to cool 1 minute before moving to a cooling rack.
Notes
Variations
- Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Cookie – Fold in up to 1 cup chocolate chips.
- Cinnamon White Chocolate Chip Cookies – Fold in up to 1 cup white chocolate chips.
- Cinnamon Almond Cookies – Use ½ teaspoon almond flavoring instead of vanilla.
- Reindeer Nose – Add red hot to dough ball just before baking.
Expert Tips
- Chill Dough
- Use a Cookie Scoop (for consistent cookie size)
To Store
- Room Temperature – Allow to cool and then store cookies in an airtight container for 3-5 days.
- Freeze – Allow to cool and then freeze cookies in airtight container for a couple of months. Allow to thaw to room temperature. Once thawed, microwave for 5 seconds to warm.
Irene says
Please specify measurement for butter. Cup, stick?
julieblanner says
I’m terribly sorry – a half cup, 1 stick.